Document: Officers miss gun in 2 searches of handcuffed suspect accused in shooting at DPD Station

Report: Man vowed to 'kill' cops before shooting

A handcuffed suspect threatened to "shoot" and "kill" Denver officers before he pulled a gun hidden in his pants and fired on officers at the District 4 Station, according to a police document.

KMGH

Isaac Vigil in 2007 mugshot

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DENVER - A handcuffed suspect repeatedly threatened to "shoot" and "kill" Denver Police officers before he pulled a handgun hidden in his pants and fired on police in the District 4 Police Station parking area this week, newly released documents reveal.

Despite searching 32-year-old Isaac Vigil at least twice, officers failed to find the .25-caliber handgun, according to a probable cause statement supporting his arrest that police released Friday.

Sources tell the CALL7 Investigators that Vigil hid the gun in the back of his baggy pants.

No officers were injured in the Wednesday afternoon shooting. An officer returned fire, striking Vigil in the abdomen. He was still recovering at a hospital on Friday.

The incident has the Denver Police Department investigating how several officers missed the gun while searching a suspect wanted on felony weapons violations.

The incident began about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday when three narcotics detectives -- Nick Rogers, Jaime Disbrow and John Robledo -- arrested Vigil after they saw him smoking suspected methamphetamine in the parking lot of a McDonald's at 300 S. Eliot St., the arrest statement said.

They arrested Vigil on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and an Adams County arrest warrant for assault, felony menacing with a weapon and possession of a weapon by previous offender.

"The detectives called for cover due to the violent and aggressive behavior of the suspect," the statement said. Officer Greg Juarez responded to provide cover.

The four officers had trouble searching the 5-foott-4, 100-pound Vigil, who appeared to be hopped up on meth and "was constantly moving, thrashing and jumping with both feet off the ground during the search of his clothing," the statement said.

Police conducted a second search of the suspect, who was described as "extremely agitated."

Officer Juarez drove Vigil, who had his hands cuffed behind his back in the "rear seat cage" of the patrol car, to the District 4 station.

En route to the station, Vigil continued to yell threats at the officer while kicking the doors and windows of the patrol car, police said.

"F*** you, I'm not going back to jail" and "I've got something for you guys," Vigil yelled, according to arrest statement.

Officer Juarez said Vigil threatened "I'm gonna kill you" five or six times during the trip to the station.

Vigil also allegedly told the officer "he had been smoking meth for three days, he was not going back to prison, police would have to kill him, and he wanted to die."

At the station prisoner entrance, Vigil refused to get out of the car and Juarez asked Detective Robledo to help him remove the suspect.

Vigil said, "You're going to hear a pop," as the two officers attempted to pull him out of the car, the statement said.

Officer Juarez said he then saw a muzzle flash as the handcuffed suspect fired a gun from behind his back." Detective Robledo said he saw a gun, which he thought was pointed at him, as Vigil was pulled from the car.

The officers took cover behind the car as Vigil fired another shot, police said.

Officer John Sisneros fired one shot at Vigil, which he believed hit the suspect, the statement said. Police later confirmed that the suspect was shot in the abdomen.

Officers used a protective shield to approach the car and removed the suspect.

While lying on the ground waiting for the paramedics to arrive, Vigil yelled, "I have meth up my a**!" according to the statement.

As Vigil was transported by ambulance to the hospital, he again screamed that he had meth inside his body and it was hurting him, an officer who rode in the ambulance reported.

At the hospital, three baggies of methamphetamine were recovered from the suspect's backside, the statement said.

Police recovered a Raven .25-caliber handgun from the back seat of the patrol car. The gun's serial number had been scratched off, police said.

The statement noted that Vigil had been arrested in Adams County last month for possession of a weapon by a previous offender. He also served four years in state prison after a 2002 conviction for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Vigil is being held in police custody at Denver Health Medical Center on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, possession of a control substance, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and possession of a defaced firearm.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.